


The Problem With Crutchie

by butterflybaby91



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 13:29:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4306890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflybaby91/pseuds/butterflybaby91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katherine thinks something is going on with Crutchie. Jack promises to get to the bottom of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Problem With Crutchie

“Morning boys!” Katherine chirped as she came bouncing into Jack and Crutchie’s room, “hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Never Ace,” Jack replied as she jumped into his outstretched arms. He squeezed her tightly to his chest for a moment, before pulling back to press a quick kiss to her forehead, “how are you this fine morning?” he asked as Katherine flung herself onto his cot.

“Oh I’m just wonderful,” she sighed in frustration. Jack and Crutchie exchanged a worried glance.

“What’s wrong Ace?” Jack asked, sitting down next to her, as Crutchie nodded in concern from across the room, where he sat on his own cot.

“The usual.”

“Ole’ Joe Pulitzer at it again?” Jack quipped.

Katherine sat up in a huff and leaned against Jack, “He’s trying to get me to leave my job at the Sun again,” she complained.

This was practically a weekly argument that Katherine got into with her father, who despite her undeniable success at the Sun, kept insisting that Katherine give up this farce of being a reporter. Which Katherine had no intention of doing, thus she usually would just run away to the lodging house until her father calmed down.

Jack began stroking the back of Katherine’s hair trying to comfort her, “It’ll be alright Ace,” he assured her, but he had to admit he was getting tired of her father’s constant badgering on the subject.

They sat there in silence for a couple moments, as Crutchie struggled to his feet and grabbed his crutch from the edge of his bed.

Jack looked up at the sound, “Where ya off to Crutchie?” he asked.

Crutchie shrugged, “Oh I’ll just be around – wanna get some air. Feel better Katherine! Don’t let him get to you!” and with that encouragement, he hobbled out of the room.

Katherine and Jack listened to him clatter down the stairs and once the front door closed Katherine turned to Jack, “Was that strange to you?”

Jack frowned, “What? Crutchie wanting to go outside? Nah…I think he just wants to be out and about.”

“No, not him leaving now exactly,” Katherine said, “but he’s been around a lot less lately. We haven’t offended him have we? He’s not avoiding us is he?” she worried aloud.

“Offend Crutchie? No way!” Jack exclaimed immediately, but then he stopped to consider what Katherine had said. “Well…I don’t know,” he hedged, “…he’s been here.” But even as he said it, he thought back over the past couple weeks and how it seemed Crutchie was gone whenever he woke up and didn’t come back until late into the evening – much later than he used to come back. Jack had written it off as he had been wrapped up with Katherine, but now that she mentioned it, it did seem like Crutchie had been avoiding them.

Katherine studied his face as realization dawned on him, “he has been avoiding us Jack – you know it!”

Jack shook his head, “There’s gotta be some explanation…” he mused, “I’ll try to talk to him tonight,” he promised.

“You better,” Katherine insisted, “he’s probably jealous because I’ve been taking up too much of your time. We’ll have to be more considerate Jack!”

He ran his hand up and down her arm, “Don’t worry, I will. I’m sure it’s nothing,” he assured her, “Now, stop worrying about Crutchie and come here,” he said leaning back and stretching out his arms. Katherine lay back with a chuckle as Jack made her forget all about Crutchie.

\--

That night, Jack forced himself to stay up until Crutchie came home. But that turned out to be a struggle. As he watched the clock move from 8, to 9, and eventually to 10, Jack began to grow worried. He never knew Crutchie to come back so late. Jack was just about to go out and look for him, when he heard Crutchie bang through the front door. “Oh thank goodness,” he sighed, laying back on his bed. Now he could get to the bottom of this and put Katherine’s worry to rest.

Crutchie’s pace slowed as he neared their door. The door crept open and Crutchie slinked in; Jack could tell he was trying his best to be quiet. “Evening Crutchie!” Jack said causing Crutchie to jump.

“Oh Jack, you scared me!” Crutchie exclaimed, sinking onto his bed, “What are you still doin up?”

“I was waiting for you,” he explained, “Is everything alright Crutchie?” Jack asked as Crutchie meandered around the room, getting ready for bed.

Crutchie looked up slightly startled, “Um…yeah,” he mumbled, “Why you ask?”

“Dunno,” Jack shrugged, “Katherine just pointed out that you haven’t been around much lately and we were starting to wonder what’s up.”

Jack was astounded as Crutchie’s cheeks turned bright red, “Uh yeah…I’m fine….nothing’s up,” he stuttered, swinging his bum leg up on the bed and turning away from Jack, “You can let her know I’m fine.”

“Nah, I don’t believe you,” Jack declared, walking over and dropping down on Crutchie’s bed, “What’s up?” Crutchie just grimaced in response, “whatever it is; whatever we did, you can tell me Crutchie. I won’t get mad,” Jack promised.

“No, no, nothing’s wrong!” Crutchie assured him, “I’ve just been a bit busy.”

Jack chuckled, “Yea I got that, but with what?”

Crutchie looked away, his cheeks getting redder, if that was possible, “You’re gonna laugh,” he murmured.

Jack wrapped his arm around Crutchie’s shoulders, “You know I won’t,” he promised his friend.

Heaving a sigh Crutchie scooted a little farther away from Jack, “Okay then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he warned as Jack looked on with worry, “I’ve…I’ve been seeing someone,” Crutchie mumbled.

Jack was stunned for a second – not that Crutchie had a girl, but that he hadn’t told Jack. “Since when?” he asked.

Crutchie shrugged, “Couple months.”

“A couple months?!” Jack exclaimed, “Crutchie why didn’t you tell anybody?”

“I dunno…I didn’t want people to think I was lying,” Crutchie admitted.

Jack frowned, “No one would think that Crutchie! When do we get to meet her?” he asked enthusiastically.

A grin spread across Crutchie’s face, “You wanna meet her?” he asked a little cautiously.

“Of course I do! And I know Katherine will too – when can we?” Jack inquired again.

“I’ll bring her round tomorrow!” Crutchie promised excitedly.

\---

Katherine could not stop bouncing excitedly around the hallway of the lodging house, “I can’t believe he has a secret girlfriend!” she gushed for about the fifth time in the last hour since Jack had told her the news.

Jack reach out and took her hand, “Not a secret anymore,” he mused, looking back down the hall where all the other boys lurked, interested despite themselves to meet the girl Crutchie had been seeing. He hoped she was ready for the on slaughter of questions and scrutiny that she was in for as soon as Crutchie opened that door.

Katherine shrugged, “You know what I mean,” she said, leaning up to kiss Jack briefly on the lips.

Just then, the front door inched open and everyone in the hallway went silent, eyes fixated on the door. Crutchie’s head peaked around the door, “Oh boy,” he muttered upon seeing all his friends lined up waiting. They could hear him mumbling more and then the door swung open revealing Crutchie holding hands with a smiling red head. Her hair was coiled neatly, if simply, on the back of her head and her dress was clean and obviously freshly pressed, but the pattern had faded with time. Her grin took up the majority of her face as she bravely clutched Crutchie’s hand and stepped forward into the room. “Everyone,” Crutchie began, “This is Annie; Annie,” he said gesturing toward the mass of people pressing forward in the hall, “this is…well this is everyone.”

Annie waved brightly, “Nice to finally meet you all!” she beamed, “Crutchie’s told me so many stories about all of you.”

Katherine bounded forward, barely able to contain her excitement, “Hi! I’m Katherine! It’s so nice to meet you!” she effused giving Annie a brief hug before jumping back towards Jack. Annie just continued to smile as all the boys came up one by one, shook her hand, and introduced themselves. By the end of it, Jack could tell she was completely overwhelmed, so as he introduced himself, he murmured under his breath to Crutchie, “Let’s the four of us go up to the roof,” to which Crutchie eagerly agreed.

Once the two couples had slipped away, Katherine linked arms with Annie and walked her over to the corner of the roof talking.

“Well they seem to be gettin’ along at least,” Crutchie observed, sliding to the ground. Jack sprawled himself down next to him.

“Of course they are – Katherine gets along with practically everyone.”

Crutchie just nodded before quietly asking, “Do you like her?”

“She seems great Crutchie.” Jack assured him.

“Phew,” Crutchie breathed in relief.

Jack scoffed, “What did ya think? That we wouldn’t like her?”

Crutchie just shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted, “I was just scared…she’s the first girl I’ve ever been with. I just wanna do things right,” he confided.

Jack reached out and pulled Crutchie into a hug, “You did well Crutch.”

Just then Katherine came skipping over to the boys, dragging a grinning Annie behind her, “Turns out poor Annie here has grown up with all brothers, so I think it’s okay if I steal her to go have some girl time. You boys can get to know her later. Sorry to steal your girlfriend away Crutchie,” Katherine cursorily apologized to Crutchie.

“Aw that’s alright,” Crutchie reassured her. He held out his arm and Annie pranced over and gave him a hug and a quick kiss, as Jack did the same to Katherine, “See you girls later?”

“Definitely – I won’t keep her forever!” Katherine promised as they disappeared down the stairs.

Jack chuckled as the door slammed behind them, “See – I told you. Katherine’s already adopted her as a sister. You better not break up with that girl Crutchie; Katherine will probably have your head.”

Eyes wide in shock, Crutchie just nodded in agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
